Solar Power World

Project Nexus solar canal demo completes construction in California

Kelly Pickerel — Fri, 01 May 2026 13:24:31 +0000

Project Nexus, the unique solar system being installed over an irrigation canal in California, has completed construction. Launched in 2022, with construction beginning in 2024, Project Nexus is a pilot study designed to test how solar over canals can generate distributed renewable electricity while saving water and conserving land by utilizing existing canal infrastructure. The…

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Installation starts on 140-MW solar project in West Texas

Billy Ludt — Fri, 01 May 2026 13:01:42 +0000

Construction has begun on Iron Spur Solar, a 140-MWDC utility-scale solar projet in Snyder, Texas. Iron Spur is being developed by utility-scale solar company Levona Renewables, with financial backing from Energea, a renewable energy developer, operator and investor. The Iron Spur project will use single-axis trackers and is expected to generate approximately 317 GWh of…

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Solar Without Sacrificing Farmland: Why Parking Lots May Become the Next Layer of Energy Infrastructure

Sponsored Content — Fri, 01 May 2026 12:00:11 +0000

By Terence Parker, Compliance & Technical Training Specialist America is entering what could be the largest expansion of electrical infrastructure since the modern grid was built. Rapid growth in electric vehicles, heat pumps, AI-driven data centers, and more is expected to dramatically increase electricity demand, potentially requiring two to four times the power the grid…

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Pittsburgh energy business incubator ‘flips the switch’ on 291-kW solar project

Billy Ludt — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:11:54 +0000

A non-profit business incubator in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, centered on advancing regional energy industries now hosts a five-array solar project covering nearly a quarter of its energy output. Solar was installed on five separate roof sections on the Energy Innovation Center’s (EIC) building on Bedford Avenue, just east of downtown Pittsburgh, and overlooking the Allegheny River…

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Enerflo integrates residential solar operating system with Solargraf design tool

Billy Ludt — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:16:20 +0000

Enerflo, a residential solar operating system, is integrating with Enphase’s Solargraf platform for an all-in-one digital proposal, design and permitting tool. Enphase Energy Solargraf brings Solargraf’s solar design tool directly into Enerflo’s solar sales and proposal workflow so residential solar companies can generate system designs and customer-ready proposals in the operating system. With this integration,…

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Silicon Ranch debuts cattle-friendly solar tracker technology in Tennessee

Billy Ludt — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:50:46 +0000

Silicon Ranch officially launched its CattleTracker energy and cattle grazing technology today on the Christiana Solar Ranch in Christiana, Tennessee. The facility represents the first-ever commercial deployment of Silicon Ranch’s patented cattle-compatible agrivoltaics platform, designed to cultivate solar energy and regenerative grazing. “CattleTracker was born at the intersection of American energy, American manufacturing and American…

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Ameresco completes two solar projects for Maryland school district

Kelly Pickerel — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:59:00 +0000

Ameresco is working with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland to install more solar. The company has completed a 558.14-kW system at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School and a 244.26-kW at Germantown Elementary School. “We often talk about the future as something that happens to us — a distant destination we are…

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Signature Solar to open new distribution warehouse in Nevada

Kelly Pickerel — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:52:57 +0000

Distributor Signature Solar announced plans to open a new warehouse and retail location in Reno, Nevada. The facility marks a strategic investment to support the company’s continued growth across the Western U.S., with a grand opening planned later this summer. The Reno location will serve as a key hub for distribution and customer engagement, expanding…

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2.9-MW carport project completed at El Paso International Airport

Kelly Pickerel — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:44:12 +0000

Big Sun Solar has completed two solar carport installations at El Paso International Airport totaling 2.9 MW. The carports cover the rental car and premium parking lots. The solar systems are expected to offset 22% of the airport’s annual electricity use. The projects received funding through federal grants, including $3 million from the Federal Aviation…

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First Solar panels to power 118 MW of small-scale utility projects by Renewable Properties

Kelly Pickerel — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:17:05 +0000

Renewable Properties, a developer and investor in small-scale utility, community solar, energy storage and EV infrastructure projects, has acquired 118 MW of Series 7 thin-film modules from First Solar’s U.S. manufacturing facilities. The American modules will be used for solar projects that Renewable Properties is developing and constructing in 17 states. In California, 51 MW of…

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Power Factors loops AI into renewable energy portfolio management platform

Kelly Pickerel — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:04:53 +0000

Power Factors has launched an AI platform for portfolio management — Unity REMI (Renewable Energy Management Intelligence). Trained on operational data from more than 310 GW of renewable energy assets globally, REMI’s AI “understands” every asset, hardware configuration, calculation and optimization scenario in the renewables industry. REMI’s autonomous action combines with Unity REMS to reason faster…

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LONGi exceeds 26% efficiency on solar panel with HJT + IBC cells

Kelly Pickerel — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:42:36 +0000

Solar panel innovator LONGi recently reached two technology milestones. First, its hybrid interdigitated-back-contact (HIBC) solar cell was certified by the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH) in Germany, achieving a photoelectric conversion efficiency of 28.13%. Second, modules using HIBC solar cells have been certified by the U.S. National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), with…

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How AI helped speed up our AI

Aurora Solar — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:21:06 +0000

At Aurora Solar, we build AI tools so that solar installers don’t have to — tools that turn aerial imagery into accurate 3D roof models in a matter of seconds. But building AI is only half the job. We also have to make sure it’s fast, reliable, and getting better over time. This post is…

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Why solar deals stall at the close — and how top reps fix it

Aurora Solar — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:17:48 +0000

Every solar salesperson knows the feeling. You had a great appointment. The homeowner was engaged, the proposal looked sharp, and they seemed ready to move forward. Then nothing. A week passes. Two weeks. You’re following up, they’re not responding, and eventually, the deal dies. In the 2026 Aurora Solar Snapshot — a survey of more…

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Selling Storage: The 2026 Pocket Guide

Aurora Solar — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:14:50 +0000

2026 is shaping up to be a big year for storage. According to Ohm Analytics nearly every new installation in California and Puerto Rico, and almost half of other U.S. installs, will have a battery attached. These numbers are surpassing initial estimates and should continue to climb thanks to recent policy changes. The solar industry…

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